


At Long Last

by Syphus



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Knights of Winter (D&D)
Genre: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Knights of Winter, Original Character(s), Original D&D Character(s) - Freeform, Romance, Short & Sweet, Slow Dancing, jon finally makes a move, this is actually canon i'm just immortalizing it in writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 08:53:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17280992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syphus/pseuds/Syphus
Summary: Jon takes a risk.





	At Long Last

**Author's Note:**

> There are characters from the D&D podcast Critical Role who make appearances in this work of fiction. Neither the author of this work nor the dungeon master of this campaign claim to own any part of Critical Role or its characters.
> 
> The dungeon master of this campaign is Seth. Each character belongs to their rightful creator.
> 
> If you have any questions regarding this campaign or its characters, please let me know in the comments. I'd be happy to clear up any confusion!
> 
> Enjoy.

The atmosphere in the ballroom is warm, complimented by the hundreds of bodies wandering around the edges of the hall. The crowds are parted in the center, Dancing Lights in paper lanterns hanging low over the guests of honor in the first dance of the evening. The leader of Tz’arrm, Saleek, dances with his half-elf partner. Bryn leads Big, teaching him to waltz along with the orc orchestra’s magically projected music. The third couple is Jon and Bella, their chests pressed close together. They swing in time with the violin, having lost the beat of the waltz moments ago.

Bella looks up into Jon’s eyes, his face close enough to see the faded scars scattered across his skin. He glances past her for a moment before speaking softly. “You look really nice tonight.”

She blushes in reply, her neck and checks burning bright red. “Thank you. You, too. You look nice, too.”

For a moment, time slows. The lights above reflect in their eyes as their swaying comes to a stop. The murmuring of the crowds fade until the only ones left are them. Two soldiers, clinging to each other in a brief respite from their daily battles; two lovers, opening themselves up to give one another their most vulnerable parts. Jon leans down and kisses Bella.

The party had always made fun of their pairing: forcing them to take nightly watches together, letting them sit next to each other on long trips, and cat calling as she takes him to bed after a long night of drinking, despite the innocence of her actions. The two had become something of a joke. Although they longed for each other in the darkest parts of the night and when the battles became too tough to endure, they’d held fast. Something stopped the two from coming together and transforming love into lovers. Yet, as their lips press together and time and hearts rush to catch up, it’s as if every action before now had dedicated itself to leading up to this. Every battle scar and awful childhood memory, every prolonged glance and awkward moment. It all led directly to this.

Jon can hear Delp’s excited cheer from the edge of the ballroom and he smiles into the kiss. His friends, and now his lover, are all here to celebrate the successes and losses to come. Despite the distance from his home – the multiverses and hundreds of thousands of coins needed to cross them – he feels a little more hope than usual. As the two part, Bella smiles at him. Her blush had neglected to fade with the kiss, and the two lovers laugh with the glee of true love’s first moment. For now, everything feels right.

**Author's Note:**

> this is real. this is canon. this actually happened and jon looking over bella's shoulder is him looking at delp's Minor Illusion of the words "compliment her! make a move!" and then everyone cheered when he finally kissed her. it was adorable. irl, the players of bella and jon are dating which makes this even more cute.
> 
> also they're currently in tz'arrm, the city of arrakocra, which is cool. and i took over as the dm so by technicality everything i write is canon in a parallel universe, but we already knew that.
> 
> let me know if you see any mistakes, i'm always trying to improve!


End file.
